Happy Halloween!

Our pumpkin is polka-dotted. Isn't it fantastic?!

I saw this idea in a magazine and really wanted to make it happen this year. Jack-o-lanterns are fun, but sometimes that gets old!

We are going to be out of town on Saturday, but to all our family and friends that will be trick or treating - Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Falling Into Fall

Fall has never been my favorite season, but it's beginning to grow on me. Maybe it's because Fall in Texas usually lasts approximately a week and a half, so it really hasn't ever had a fighting chance. Maybe it's because the appeal of school vacation, shaved ice, my birthday, fireworks, and the pool kept Summer in the number one position for so long. Maybe it's because hot cocoa, snow, endless holiday treats, and Christmas made Winter seem so obviously superior. But this year...something changed inside of me. I'm learning to appreciate Fall. With the turning leaves, open windows, brisk walks, and spiced pumpkin lattes, how could I not? And then there are these.

Something about these gourds is just so beautiful. They are unusual looking and certainly not anything I'm willing to cook up and taste - but, I love them! They remind me of the promises of Fall - the autumnal colors, kids dressed up in cute costumes, giving thanks.

Tonight Andreas and I are going to carve our Halloween pumpkin (not one of my cute gourds pictured - gasp!). I'll post pics of the finished product soon!

Happy Birthday Preben!!!

Happy birthday to my favorite father-in-law. We wish so much that we could be there to celebrate with you. We love you very, very much!

Happy Birthday Liselotte!!!

Happy birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law. Thank you so much for raising the man that I fell in love with. We love you so much and hope you have a fantastic day!

Snickerdoodles

I've made these snickerdoodles three weeks in a row now - once for a dinner party, once for work, and once for home group. The ingredients are simple, the preparation is minimal, and the cookies are serious crowd pleasers.

You will need:

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar mixture (use whatever ratio cinnamon to sugar you prefer)

In a small bowl, mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients slowly, taking care to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as you go.

Chill the dough for at least one hour.

Once ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Use a spoon to form balls of the dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cookies about two inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Fightin' Texas Aggie Football

This Saturday we headed over to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium to watch the Texas A&M vs. Arkansas football game. But first we enjoyed the day tailgating!

We caravaned with college friends and coworkers down to Arlington around lunchtime. JD and Brittany rode down with us and were definitely representing Arkansas. If you look closely, you can see more red behind them. We let some other Hogs join the party!

Nothing wrong with some friendly rivalry.

Andreas and Bobby discussed the finer points of life...

...and let someone else do the cooking. Mmmmm, there were burgers, chicken, sausage, and hot dogs!

Everyone knows it isn't an Aggie tailgate without washers.

Here Larame shows us proper washer-throwing form. I have to admit this game is much harder than it looks! Andreas and I played as a team one game and discovered we could definitely use some practice.

As the day progressed, our site became more and more popular! Look at all those Aggies.

Flip cup anyone? No thanks, not my cup of tea...er, beer.

By happy coincidence, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band came marching right by our tailgating site!

These boots were made for walkin'. Only Senior Corps members are allowed to wear these custom-made boots - an Aggie tradition. Check out the spurs!

The band hung out and played for a while.

Even Reveille came to say hello.

After a long day of food and fun, it was finally time to go to the stadium. It is incredible looking!

And if you think that's impressive, check out the inside!

And the sea of Aggie maroon! Okay, okay, there were some Arkansas fans there too, but I couldn't be bothered to snap pictures of them.

And here it is folks, the famous HD screen. It spans from 20-yard line to 20-yard line and is almost 13,000 square feet. Need some perspective? Each one of those tiny letters spelling out Mitsubishi Electric on the top of the screen is 5 feet tall. RIDICULOUS. Two people work inside the screens at each event and use an elevator to lower themselves into the seven story structure.

This is at the beginning of the game, when our spirits were still high.

This is what $8.50 looks like at Cowboys stadium. Actually I was pretty happy with that considering people were paying $8 for a beer. A single beer! Plus I love artificial cheese. I know, I know, it's disgusting. But there is just something about ballpark nachos that I can't resist. Top them off with chili, jalapenos, and pico de gallo and I'm in heaven.

By halftime we were in desperate need of a pick-me-up. Good thing Aggies always win halftime.

Fightin' Texas Aggie Band signature ATM.

Even though we didn't win, it was an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing it with us JD and Brittany!